About St. Timothy 

History of St. Timothy

A surge in population growth northwest of the sprawling campus of The Ohio State University prompted Bishop Clarence G. Issenmann to purchase 11 acres of scenic land on Thomas Lane in 1959 for a new parish.

St. Timothy Parish was established officially on November 29, 1961.  Its general boundaries were Kinnear Road on the south, Kenny Road on the west, Tremont Road on the southwest, the Olentangy River on the east, and Case Road on the north.  Some 300 families from St. Andrew, St. Agatha and Our Lady of Peace Parishes who lived in the area became charter members of the new parish.  The three older parishes, in keeping with the tradition, made financial contributions to help their former parishioners get St. Timothy's started.

Father Augustine L. Winkler, affectionately known as Father Gus, was chosen to be founding pastor.  he had been serving double duty as pastor of St. Edward parish in Granville and superintendent of Newark Catholic High School.

The first Sunday mass for the entire congregation was celebrated by Father Winkler in the gym of nearby Cranbrook Elementary School on December 10, 1961.  The gym was used for Sunday services throughout 1962.  A modest house at 1054 Oberlin Drive was purchased in February, 1962, for $24,024 for use as a temporary rectory and parish office.  Its basement was converted into a chapel.

Father Winkler broke ground September 2, 1962, for St. Timothy's first and largest building.  The construction site was a hillside overlooking a meandering stream known as Turkey Run.  Building plans called for a "temporary" church and sacristy, eight elementary school classrooms, library, offices, faculty room, cafeteria, kitchen, parish hall to seat 300 and storage space.  Those facilities still exist today.

In addition to the ground breaking, that September saw the start of religious education classes.  Some 300 youngsters were enrolled in the courses conducted at Cranbrook School.

Father Winkler celebrated the first Mass in St. Timothy's still unfinished building on January 6, 1963.  That first service was conducted in the parish hall to the tune of rain water dripping from a leaky roof into strategically placed buckets.  Sunday services were moved to the new church in March.  Two months later on May 23, 1963, Bishop Issenmann formally dedicated the newly-completed brick building that houses St. Timothy Church, School and related facilities.

To be continued...